Seeing More Cearly
For now we see but a faint reflection of riddles and mysteries as though reflected in a mirror, but one day we will see face-to-face. My understanding is incomplete now, but one day I will understand everything, just as everything about me has been fully understood. I Corinthians 13:12 (The Passion Translation, TPT)
Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. I Corinthians 13:12 (New living Translation, NLT)
Based on these two renderings of I Corinthians 13:12, we know that our understanding of the things of God; His ways and plans, is a bit dim and fuzzy. This verse compares it to looking in a hazy mirror where the images we see are not clear or fully illuminated. I would also consider it to be like looking through the blinds on our windows with the slats partially closed. When we look through them, we can’t see a full, clear picture of the scene outside- just partial images and figures.
Why is our understanding so limited? I believe there are a number of reasons, some of which I will share here.
First of all, we are limited by our knowledge of the Word. If we don’t understand the Word of God, how can we understand the ways of God? That is why Bible study is so important to our spiritual growth. As we study the Word, we go from faith to faith, growing and developing in our understanding of heavenly truths.
A second thing that limits our understanding is our individual backgrounds. If we grew up in a household that did not experience the things of God, we have to begin to learn them. And if we grew up in a house or church that taught things that were not scripturally correct, we must unlearn what we were wrongly taught or indoctrinated so we can move on in the Truth. Especially if we were involved in religions or belief systems that were the opposite of the Bible, that affects our understanding of the things of God, and must be dealt with.
Our position also limits our understanding. We see only our part of God’s plan; we don’t see the full picture. We are affected by the fact that we can only be in one place at a time and are only exposed to a portion of His activity. When we enter eternity, the pieces will come together for us. Faith pleases God. If we knew everything and saw everything clearly, we would not have to trust God. We would not have to use faith.
Another thing that can affect our understanding is lack of interest, or a slothful attitude, about the things of God. We must pursue Truth and go after it. As we do, we learn more and more about God, and about His view of us.
Finally, we do not understand everything clearly because we are still dealing with the flesh. Once we leave this body with its carnal desires that try to distract us and draw us away from pursuing God, we can fully comprehend what He has for us to know.
Our walk with the Lord is a progressive thing. It should be ever-growing and our understanding of Him should increase more and more. No, we will not understand everything fully while we are here in our physical bodies, but we should always seek to know Him more and more. Why? Because, as we will see once we are “on the other side,” God is clearly worth knowing.
